DeLand boys basketball coach Zeoli says he has put in his retirement papers

Tuesday

Jan 14, 2014 at 10:25 PMJan 15, 2014 at 12:24 AM

DeLand coach John Zeoli turns 66 later this month.

By Sean Kernansean.kernan@news-jrnl.com

DELAND -- DeLand High boys basketball coach John Zeoli, the dean of Volusia County coaches, has put in his retirement papers, he told The News-Journal on Tuesday night.But the coach who turns 66 later this month still wants to guide the Bulldogs for one more season in 2014-15. That will be a decision made by Volusia County Schools, he said.“I'm retiring from the school system (after this school year) and I have to retire from coaching, too, but I did ask for one more year so that I can finish up with the juniors that I have,” Zeoli said after the team returned from a 77-67 road victory at Altamonte Springs Lake Brantley.“I told the superintendent (Margaret A. Smith) that I would do it for free. I do not want a penny, or even a shoelace. I just want to finish up with some of these kids. It would mean a lot to me if I could.”The physical education teacher began coaching at DeLand in 1977 and became head coach in 1981. He joined the exclusive 500 wins club in 2010. Tuesday night's victory was the 575th of his career, he said, all with the Bulldogs.DeLand improved to 13-7, including a 7-3 mark in District 2-8A.The Bulldogs are rallying around their coach as if it's his final season.“We haven't really thought about it too much, this being his last year, but we're thinking about it a lot more because it's getting close (to the end of the season),” guard Lynorris Hamilton said. “We want to make Coach Z proud if it turns out it's his last year.”Zeoli said he hoped to have an answer soon from county administration on his offer to coach for free next season.